Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 19: Rāma Promises to Leave for the Forest
Text 2.19.32
न चास्य महतीं लक्ष्मीं राज्यनाशोऽपकर्षति।
लोककान्तस्य कान्तत्वाच्छीतरश्मेरिव क्षपा॥
na cāsya mahatīṁ lakṣmīṁ rājya-nāśo ’pakarṣati
loka-kāntasya kāntatvāc chīta-raśmer iva kṣapā
na ca = not; asya = Rāma’s; mahatīm = the great; lakṣmīm = beauty of His lotus face; rājya-nāśaḥ = loss of kingdom; apakarṣati = did take away; loka-kāntasya = that pleases the entire world; kāntatvāt = because of its intrinsic beauty; śīta-raśmeḥ = [does not take away the beauty] of the cool-rayed moon; iva = just as; kṣapā = the night.
Rāma’s loss of kingdom did not take away the great beauty of His lotus face just as the night [does not take away the beauty] of the cool-rayed moon that pleases the entire world because of its intrinsic beauty.
GLOSS. The poet helplessly describes the [factual] nature of Śrī Rāma here.